


Medallion

by MeepMorpRain



Series: Rocket and Groot One-Shots [1]
Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies)
Genre: Flowers, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Love, Memories, Platonic Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-25
Updated: 2017-10-25
Packaged: 2019-01-22 19:42:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12489384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeepMorpRain/pseuds/MeepMorpRain
Summary: Peter accidentally finds one of Rocket's most prized possessions and asks him about it.





	Medallion

**Author's Note:**

> This was based on a headcanon that I came up with. Enjoy the story!  
> NOTE: I DON'T SHIP ROQUILL, DON'T GET ANY IDEAS

It was rude to be snooping around in other people's business, but it was an accidental natural instinct that Peter had. He would unintentionally nose into other people's privacy. Sometimes the consequences were bad, sometimes worse.

I guess you can call this incident kind of worse.

One time on a "peaceful" day on the Milano, it was cleaning time. The ship looked like a garbage heap, according to Gamora. So everyone, well, mostly everyone, went on their own ways to try and get this mess to disappear.

Peter was trying his best. It was his ship after all. Of course he wanted to keep the baby super shiny as hell, he doesn't do a great job at it, though. Peter was taking out the stuff on the table where they usually eat. Then he happened to notice something on it, something that stood out. It was a circular object that had a metallic ring on the outside. The inside was a bunch of tiny twigs and sticks all jumbled together to form some sort of circular pattern and in the center was a flower. But this flower wasn't your average "I'm taking a walk down the park flower in the spring", there was something special about it. It gave you a comfortable feel every time you looked at it. The petals looked super soft, they were a light blue-lilac-pastel yellow ombre going down into the center. Each petal had a sparkle to it like someone put glitter, it illuminated everytime you put it in the light. There were many petals on this flower, like a layered cake. The center had purple buds in the middle which formed a small closing, the inside of the closing contained an even tinier, more simpler, flower. The miniature plant was a pure white with a yellow center. The design of this flower was so complicated yet so beautiful, you could put it in a museum on Earth and everyone would want to look at it.

As Peter observed the circular object some more, he noticed some carvings on the metallic ring. He examined the metallic part, it was full of strange symbols that would probably read out a sentence. But this writing was different than what Peter had learned since he'd been in space, it was an unknown language to him. He wondered if Gamora would know how to read this. He slipped the circular object in his pocket.

"Hey!" A voice cried out. Peter jumped back a little in fear. "I saw you slip that in your pocket, Quill!" Peter looked around him to see who was talking to him, he then recognized the voice and looked down, letting his eyes reveal Rocket, the raccoon who hates being called a raccoon for some strange reason. "Wow, took you a fucking while to notice me."

"Sorry, I got startled," responded Peter.

Rocket put his arm out in front of Peter, "Hand it over, humie!" He commanded.

"Hand over what?"

"The thing you put in your pocket, dumbass! What else?"

"Why do you want it?" He took the circular object out of his pocket and hung it over Rocket's head.

"Because it's mine, you flark!" Rocket struggled to grab it out of Peter's hand.

Peter took another close look at the circular object again. "Woah, this is yours? Where'd you get it? How do you have enough units for this thing?" He stroked the carvings on the side of the object.

"I didn't buy it! It...it was a gift..." Rocket calmed down a bit.

"A gift? From who?" Peter gasped. "Rocket! Who's your special someone?"

Rocket stayed silent.

"You got a girlfriend?"

"Not anymore..." the raccoonoid mumbled.

Peter gasped again. "It's from your ex?!"

"No, it's not! It's from someone else!" Rocket's fury welled up again, but then it disappeared. "You know him...he's...he's gone now."

Peter looked at Rocket, he was picking at his fur and looking down at the ground. Peter handed the circular object to him. "...Sorry. I didn't know..." 

Rocket took the circular object from his hands and looked at it. He felt the carvings on the side of it. "It's fine. Thanks for giving it back." He held it close to his chest and walked away from Peter. Peter felt guilt in him. He followed Rocket to his room, he was already sitting on his bunk.

"You really miss him, huh." Peter sat down next to Rocket. There was more silence, Rocket kept looking at the circular object. "You guys must've been close as hell."

"Yeah." Rocket said with a very low tone. "The only guy who made me feel less lonely in this krutackin' galaxy. I don't know why he stuck with me, but he's always been by my side."

"Since birth?" asked Peter.

"No...but it seems like we've been best friends for the longest time. Like I'd known this guy since forever."

"At least you got this new Groot! Does that make you at least happy?"

Rocket turned to look at the pot that the new Groot had grown out of. "Yeah, it does make me happy. But he's not the same, he doesn't remember anything that's happened at all. Nothin'. Like he lost all of his memories and is now just another Groot living in this world." Rocket hugged the circular object tighter in his chest, Peter could see subtle tears form in his eyes, ready to fall out.

Peter wanted to say something to Rocket, just to make him feel better without accidentally making him feel worse. It was risky, but he couldn't stay silent. "I'm sorry about what happened to Groot, but he's in a better place now and he'll always be with you no matter what. Memories or not, he'll always be at your side." Peter smiled at the raccoon, wanting to pet his head, but smiling was fine for now.

Rocket wiped his eyes and forced a weak smile. "Thanks..." Peter got up from his bunk and walked to the door.

"If you ever need to talk, come to me. I know stuff about loss. Or Drax, he's older and wiser, I think. But come and talk, we're your friends and we'll always be here for you, 'kay?"

Rocket nodded at him. "Sure. Thanks, Quill."

Peter smiled at him again and left him all alone.

Rocket laid down on the bunk and let out a deep sigh, letting a couple of tears fall out as he did so. He looked at the circular object again, how it was so delicately crafted by his tree friend. Out of all the creations that Groot made, this one was his best work. He put the most beautiful flower he knew inside of it and weaved a beautiful pattern made out of his own sticks and twigs. The metallic outer ring he got from somewhere else, but he carved his own saying on it, a saying Rocket would have in his brain forever.

_Our friendship grew this flower, our love gave it color. This flower will never wilt, as long as we're together._

Rocket smiled gleefully. "He was always a sap..." He turned to his side and kissed the glass that covered the stick pattern and the flower, remembering the exact moment when he got it.

* * *

It was night time in a random forest. The two were hiding from people that were looking for them, wanting to kill them both for a debt they hadn't paid back quite yet. The stars were twinkling in the dark blue sky. There were silent winds blowing across the leaves of the trees, making them shake. Relaxing sounds from insects were the only noises heard on this quiet evening. Rocket and Groot were leaning against a tree, tired from running, tired from fighting, just tired from today. But for some reason, they were both filled with excitement and joy, they never had this much fun. Getting out of that lab meant freedom to do whatever, and Rocket and Groot were gonna do what they wanted to do. Enjoy life, enjoy the galaxy. They both smiled at each other weakly, still exhausted from trying to hide.

"Groot...I never had this much fun before...is this what happiness feels like? Y'know, the emotion you always talk about." Rocket said in between breaths.

"Mm. I am Groot?" responded the tree.

"Happiness, it feels...nice...I don't feel anymore pain...is this normal when you're happy?" asked the curious raccoon.

"I am Groot."

"Well, then I like happiness. Sadness is a bitch." Rocket crossed his arms and Groot started to chuckle. "What are you laughing at me for?"

"I am Groot!"

"Tch, I'm sorry, but sadness is a bitch. So is pain. Those two should die in a hole. And burn!"

Groot laughed some more. Then there was just silence, only the sound of the insects and the wind was heard. Groot got up and faced Rocket. "I am Groot?"

"What's up?"

"I am Groot?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course we'll be best buds forever! I mean, we only have each other anyway. Everyone basically hates us and they can't understand you like I do, right? Plus, why would I leave you behind?" Rocket turned away from Groot, hiding his face. "You mean a lot to me..."

Groot smiled warmly at Rocket. Rocket turned to look at Groot and started to blush.

"Stop smiling at me like that, you big idiot." He looked at the grass and tried not to make eye contact.

Groot formed a bunch of sticks and twigs together, the sound that it made caused Rocket to see what he was doing. He started to weave a pattern into a circular shape. Then he took out a random golden-metallic ring and made a sharp edge with his finger. He started to write on the ring, all of his focus was on carving some weird symbols onto the thing.

"What are you making?" questioned Rocket.

Groot shushed his mouth and continued to work on what he was doing. Then he inserted the weaving pattern made out of sticks into the golden-metallic ring.

"I am Groot," he commanded. Rocket put his hand on top of Groot's hand. The two of them looked at each other's hands side-by-side. A gigantic, barky hand compared to a tiny, clawed paw. "I am Groot!"

Rocket smiled, "Yeah, me too, bud!"

A glowing light formed in between their hands. Rocket moved his paw away from Groot's hand which revealed a flower. A flower that he's never seen before. The petals were layered on top of each other and as the layers got closer to the center, the colors changed from a dark blue to a lighter blue to a lilac and finally to a pastel yellow. The most beautiful combination of colors that Rocket's eyes had ever laid sight on. There were dark purple buds in the center of the flower that formed a small closing. Groot raised his finger and out came a single, glowing spore. He placed the spore inside of the center of the flower. The flower started to glow all throughout the middle. The lights revealed sparkly stuff on top of the petals, it was such a beautiful sight to see. Groot placed the flower in the middle of the stick weaving and closed the entire thing with glass that he randomly got. He picked up his work and handed it to Rocket.

" **I am Groot**." As Groot gave the newly made medallion to Rocket, he grabbed his hands. " **I am Groot.** "

Rocket could feel the tears coming out of his eyes as he said that. He repeated it out loud, " _Our friendship grew this flower, our love gave it color. This flower will never wilt, as long as we're together._ " Then suddenly, as if he wasn't even controlling his own body, Rocket sprang up and hugged Groot. He's never given the hug first, it was usually Groot. But today felt different. Today, Rocket felt something he never had before.

_Love._


End file.
